Cor. 8.1 2 3. 4. If the Church of Cenchrea through extream Poverty cannot of themselves provide a Pastor of their own the Lord hath not left them without direction and relief in this case In which they ought both to search the Word themselves and also to consult other Churches whose Duty it is not only to hold forth Light to a sister-Sister-Church in the dark but also to yield forth outward Supplies to a sister-Sister-Church in distress which is a lovely exercise and fruit of mutual Charity and Communion between Sifter-Churches and that which hath unquestionable Warrant in the Word whereas this of borrowing and lending an Officer to do a Cast of his Office in another Church besides his own is a thing unheard of in the Scripture and never practised by the Primitive Churches under the Apostles direction Obj. 3. Difficult times produce unusual Cases and Extremities and that which in an ordinary case would not be lawful is allowable in such Cases and Times Answ 1. Difficult times do indeed produce unusual afflictions on Churches and make their Temptation to depart from the the Rule so much the greater yea too too often cause breaches and miscarriages amongst them But no difficulty or severity of the Times can alter the Rule given by Christ unto his Churches 2. The Primitive Churches of the New Testament were under as much difficulty as any Churches in this Land can pretend to be in yet they kept close to the Rule nor do we find in them any such practice as this nor any thing that may countenance it in the Sacred Records concerning them 3. Difficulty of the Times calls indeed for the exercise of suitable Graces and also of Prudence But Prudence hath its scope only in such things in Church-Worship as are no part of the Worship but only circumstances thereof related to Worship not as it is Worship but as an action performed by Men all whose actings must have time and place for them And thence the things wherein Prudence may interpose to vary are such things about which there is no positive Divine Institution When Place and Time come under an Institution as for Example the Temple and their Feasts under the Old Testament and the First Day of the Week in the New there Prudence may not alter them nor may we on such an account swerve from the Rule for they become Parts of Worship 4. The Administrator of the Supper is more than a common circumstance of the Worship performed in that Ordinance For he sanctifies the Elements as the Temple or Altar did their Sacrifices and Gifts being the Substitute of Christ in the administration of that Ordinance appointed thereunto by the institution of the Lord. And of this there seems to be an acknowledgment and sense in the practice pleaded against in this Dispute For why else doth the Church of Cenchrea seek fot the Officer of the Church of Corinth and not take any of their own private Members for this work 5. 'T is most true Affirmative Commands do not bind us to be always actually fulfilling of them yet Negative Commands restrain us at all times from transgressing of them And therefore tho the Church be not bound to be every day celebrating the Lord's Supper yet they are bound when-ever they do do celebrate it to do it in no other manner than according to the Rule given them by Christ the Lord whose Rule is that their own and not another Churches Officer administer it amongst them I shall add no more on this Question only that I know not that I am singular in any thing that I have written sure I am that in the sum and main of the case I have the generality of the Ministers and Churches of the Congregational Persuasion concurring with me As an evidence thereof let me direct to one Testimony and transcribe another not doubting but had I my Books and Papers about me I could easily add many more The first Testimony is Dr. Owen in his Brief Instruction in the Worship of God c. by way of Question and Answer Quest 26. page 118 119 120 121 122 123. Where he is most express against it and gives sundry Arguments to confirm his Judgment The other Testimony is of all the Officers and Messengers of the Congregational Churches in the Declaration of their Faith and Order agreed on and Published Anno 1658. The 16th Proposition concerning the Institution of Churches c. runs thus A Church furnished with Officers according to the mind of Christ hath full power to administer all his Ordinances and where there is want of any one or more Officers required that Officer or those which are in the Church may administer all the Ordinances proper to their particular Duty and Offices But where there are no Teaching Officers none may administer the Seals nor can the Church authorize any so to do QUESTION II. May a Member of the Church at Cenchrea partake of the Lord's Supper administred there by the Pastor of the Church of Corinth especially himself not being clear whether the practice of the Pastor of Corinth in this particular be Warrantable Ans No Whether lie be satisfied or scrupulous about the Warrantableness of the act of the Pastor of Cornith he may not participate of the Lord's Supper administred by him in the Church of Cenchrea 1. There is such a near alliance and necessary connexion by the appointment of God between the person administring and the orderly administration of this Ordinance that I cannot partake of it but I contract upon my self the guilt of his unlawful administration If a Justice of the Peace in Middlesex send out his Warrant to fetch me before him in Essex and it being there served upon me I submit to it and suffer my self to be carried before him by vertue of it I become hereby guilty of compliance with his arrogating Authority which the King hath not given him So it is in this case and the reason thereof is that necessary connexion which there is in both cases between the act that is done and the person 's rightful authority that doth it 2. My communicating evidently holds forth an approbation of his power or right to administer And so it is a Sin against that Charity which I owe to him for I confirm and strengthen him in that his Error It is also a Sin against the Charity that I owe to the Church by a nearer and special Bond being in Fellowship with them and one of them for this my communicating doth also incourage them in the Error of their way It is true indeed if his acting were such as might be lawfully done by him and desired by them on some other grounds then tho the true and justifying grounds of it were mistaken both by them and him then I say my bare Presence and communicating with them could not be justly interpreted as a sinful incouraging of them but there being no ground that renders his act lawful the case is otherwise Obj. But sundry holy Saints have experienced the gracious presence of Christ speaking peace and Strengthening their Faith and Grace in the Lord's Supper so administred and therefore it is his Ordinance and rightly administred and I may communicate in it Answ 1. Tho the error of the Administration argued against in these Papers should not be so deep as to make it no Ordinance of Christ yet it may be such and doubtless is as to make my communicating therein unlawful The Cross joined to Baptism doth not make it Null yet it makes it unlawful for me to receive it so administred Kneeling at the Supper destroys it not from being Christ's Ordinance yet makes it unlawful for me to receive the Supper at all if I cannot receive it otherwise than Kneeling In the case under debate neither the lawfulness of the Pastor of Corinth's administring in Cenchrea nor the lawfulness of a Member of Cenchrea's communicating in the Supper so administred can be made good tho it should be granted to remain Christ's Ordinance notwithstanding the Error that is in the Administration 2. Christ may be experienced graciously present to a Believer's Soul in an administration which it is not lawful for the Believer to partake of yea which indeed is no Ordinance of Christ Doubtless many good Souls who in former Times have through infirmity and want of Light conscientiously used Common-Prayer or observed the Holy-days have had experience of special and sweet communion with Christ both in the one and in the other yet neither are Christ's Ordinance nor will thit Experience warrant the lawfulness of the use and observation on thereof For the Lord therein had not any respect to the one or the other as any Ordinance of his but of his great Goodness over-look'd the infirmity and accepted the sincerity of his Servants having respect to the Graces in their Hearts that were stirred up and awakened to exercise by the apprehension thoa mistaken one of an Ordinance of his He being so abundant in Goodness and Truth that he oftentimes does that for us in a way of Grace which we could not challenge from him by vertue of any express Promise of his He then by the greatness of our Error magnifying his own Grace the more 3. The design of these Papers is not to bereave any of their precious Experiences nor call them in Question yet we should not build more on them than they will bear but to lave us from an Error in Opinion and Practice of a very sad aspect and evil consequences if it should once sind general entertainment in the Churches But I had rather leave them to the Reader 's own Thoughts than put my self to the trouble of declaring them FINIS Books Newly Printed for Nath. Hiller at the Princes Arms in Leaden-Hall Street over against St. Mary Ar. THE Divine Institution of Congregational Churches Ministry and Ordinances Asserted and Proved from the Word of God To which is added A Discourse concerning Unction and Washing of Feet Proving That they be not Instituted Sacraments or Ordinances in the Churches Both by Haac Chauncy M.A. Pietas in Patriam The Life of his Excellency Sir William Phips Knt. Late Captain General and Governour of New-England Containing the Memorable Changes undergone and Actions performed by him
none by the Church and therefore none from Christ He hath none by the Church of Corinth for they can give him no power for any action in another Church He hath none by the Church of Cenchrea for they do not Call him to Office amongst them And therefore he hath none at all for these are the two only Churches from whom any thing can be pretended in this Case Arg. VII If he may Administer the Supper to and in the Church of Cenchrea he must also fulfil his Ministry towards that Church in all the other acts of his Ministry wherein the Church needs his help For right to administer the Supper supposeth Office but Office-relation inferreth Office-Bonds Office being not a Power or Licence only but carrying in it a Charge Command and Duty But it is evident the Pastor of the Church of Corinth is not bound to fulfil his Ministry towards the Church of Cenchrea he is not bound to Watch there Rule there Guide there Labour in the Word and Doctrine there The other Officers of the Church of Corinth are bound to fulfil their Offices in doing the respective work thereof to the Church of Cenchrea as much as the Pastor and both they and he are as well bound to the other Churches in Achaia as to that at Cenchrea Arg. VIII If this administring the Supper in the Church of Cenchrea by the Pastor of the Church of Corinth be Lawful and Warrantable I demand What is it that makes it so It is plain he doth a special act which none but Persons impower'd and priviledged thereto may do such special acts must have something for the ground of them indeed all acts must else they are unlawful But there is nothing that can impower the Pastor of the Church of Corinth for thus acting in the Church of Cenchrea It must be either his Gifts or his Grace or his Election or his Ordination But none of these can give him power to administer the Lord's Supper in Cenchrea Not his Gifts nor Grace For then a Non-Officer might do it Grace gives ability only to do a thing acceptably to God as to the inward frame of the heart with which it is done not any right to do lawfully any external act which otherwife might not be done Gifts only furnish with ability for doing such a thing whereto the Gifts are suited unto others Edification but confer not a Right or Authority whereby it may lawfully be done for then every one that hath equal Gifts must have equal Authority Neither Gifts nor Grace make a Man Christ's Substitute to bless and sanctifie Elements in his Name and make them Sacramental Signs of Christ and his Benefits Private Members yea Women have both Gifts and Grace yet are not Christ's Substitutes for such an Administration Not his Election The Church that chooseth him chooseth him only for themselves not for other Churches to be in Christ's stead amongst them not amongst others For Christ hath not given them power to confer such power on any Man with respect to any others than themselves But each Church is betrusted with it by the Lord Christ for it self The Church of Corinth cannot subject the Church of Cenchrea to their Pastor and therefore cannot give him either Office power or power for any Office act in the Church of Cenchrea they may as well make him an Universal Pastor over all the Churches in the whole World Not his Ordination For this presupposeth is grounded upon and relates wholly to his Election and thence gives not power of a larger extent than he was called to in his Election He is Ordained to no other than he was Chosen to and therefore if in his Election he be not Chosen to act as an Officer in other Churches his Ordination impowers him not at all thereunto He is not Chosen to one thing and Ordained to another Ordination be it a Solemn investiture of him with Office-power or be it a Solemn Separation of him with supposed due Rites and in due manner to his Work yet it so necessarily and wholly relates to his Election that he can receive no power thereby of larger extent than in his Election he was called unto In sum therefore If neither his Gifts nor Grace nor Election nor Ordination be a just and sufficient ground for the Pastor of the Church of Corinth his administring the Lord's Supper in the Church of Cenchrea there is no sufficient ground at all for it But in none of these is there a sufficient ground for it therefore there is none at all As to what may be pleaded by vertue of Communion of Churches it shall be considered in the next Point This shall serve for Arguments concluding the Question There are some Objections that may receive their Answer from the Premises and these come next to be considered Obj. 1. He is a Pastor every where and abides still vested with that Relation and the Authority of it even when he is in Cenchrea and not only when he is acting as a Pastor in Corinth 'T is not with a Church-Officer as with the Elements in the Sacraments which remain Sacred and Sacramental only while they are using in that Ordinance but afterwards and out of that use what is left of the Bread or Wine is common Ans True he doth abide clothed with the Office of a Pastor even while he is at Cenchrea even as the Lord Mayor of London abides Lord Mayor though he go into Westminster yet he can put forth none of his power as Mayor whilst he is there So is the Pastor of the Church of Corinth limited in the acts of his Office as to the object of it unto the particular Church of Corinth Elsewhere and unto others he is but as a Private Person as to any Office-Authority or Power As a Father abides a Father when he is in another Man's House yet hath no Paternal Authority over any Children but his own Yea I will grant further that the Pastor of the Church of Corinth is to be honoured with singular esteem by the Church of Cenchrea not only for his eminent excelling in spiritual Gifts and Grace but also because the Lord Jesus hath put honour upon him in calling him to such a place and vesting him with such an Office in one of his Churches Nay I will moreover yield the Pastor of the Church of Corinth to be an Ordinance of God for good to all the Members of the Church of Cenchrea So indeed he is in his feeding of the Church of Corinth with a Word of Wisdom to all the Inhabitants of that City being a Vessel that carries precious Treasure and holds forth unto all that hear his Preaching the Word of Life And so is the Church it self of Corinth it being the Pillar of Truth and an Ordinance provided and set up on purpose by the great God in the dark World for this very end to display his manifold Wisdom in the Gospel and direct the lost Sons of Men
Authority than theirs were Difficulties and Sufferings can no more relax our obligation strictly to observe the Ordinances given us by Christ than they could relax their obligation to observe Moses his Ordinances Yea we having in all these things rather the advantage of them our obligation in matters of Institution must needs be acknowledged in that regard the stricter and more indispensible of the two V. There is nothing truly of Institution but is a part of the Name of Christ and part of the the Words of Christ no less properly and really than the most glorious Mysteries of Faith or most fundamental Points of Doctrine But we must not in any kind be ashamed of any of his words nor in any degree or sort deny any thing of his Name no tho our Lot be to live in an adulterous and sinful Generation and in those places and times where the not denying of them may cost us our lives Mark 8. 38 Rev. 2.13 VI. The least and the greatest matters of Institution are injoin'd us alike indispensably We may therefore as lawfully lay aside all as lay aside any Institution to avoid Sufferings VII One end of the Lord 's giving so exact a Rule in matters of Institution is for the Tryal of our Obedience and Loyalty And his bringing Difficulties and Sufferings upon us for observing what he hath commanded us is also that he might take the more thorow and solemn Tryal of our Loyalty Love and Faithfulness to him It is therefore impossible that Difficulties and Sufferings should alter that Rule in matters of Institution or give us any Dispensation as to our close observance thereof Let me answer some Objections hence and I shall proceed to the next Question Obj. 1. The Church of Cenchrea desires the Ordinance of the Supper earnestly and stands in great need thereof for the strengthening of their Faith in difficult times and warming their love to Christ and one another being also in the more danger of scattering in that they are deprived of a Pastor of their own Surely Christ hath left some way for his Church to enjoy that Ordinance in such a time when their need of it is singularly great They must needs therefore as the Case is with them either go without it to their great grief and wounding or have it administred by one that is no Teaching-Officer borrow of Corinth their Pastor Ans 1. Cenchrea being deprived of a Pastor they must furnish themselves with one every Church being bound in Conscience to provide it self with all the standing Ordinances of Christ as they will answer casâ—ng off Christ's Authority that hath appointed them and not be guilty of despising his love who gives them as signal Pledges thereof and of sinning against their own Souls by neglecting a special Ordinance for the Edisication and Salvation of them 2. 'T is sad when a Church is deprived of any Ordinance especially that of Teaching Elders and if God do indeed withhold them from enjoying one it ought to be lookt upon as a sore Rebuke from Christ carrying in it no less than a Threatning to remove his Candlestick from them and as a kind of partial Excommunicating of them inflicted by Christ himself from Heaven and it is therefore a sore and solemn testifying against such a Church by the Lord. 3. This Judgment is much the heavier when it befalls a Church in such a Day as the Objection points at yet Affliction is to be chosen before Sin And the Affliction of being deprived of that sweet and precious Ordinance of the Supper in such a time of special need of it tho very grievous to a gracious Spirit yet had better be born than the Ordinance be scrambled after in an unlawful way 4. The Church of Cenchrea may as lawfully have it administred by a non-Officer as by the Officer of another Church For the Pastor of Corinth is no other than a non-Officer to the Church of Cenchrea and therefore if the one be irregular and unlawful as the Objection seems to grant it is so is the other also no less 5. This Objection carries a Face as if the Church at Cenchrea could well enough content themselves without a Pastor could they but get the Lord's Supper by any scambling shift or could they satisfie themselves in going without it But surely this is an evil frame on many accounts and argues both little Conscience of walking in all the Commands and Ordinances nances of Christ and also that such a Church aims more at the keeping up the Form and Name of a Church than at fulfilling their Duty to their own Souls Obj. 2. The Church is poor and our Rulers are so fan from giving encouragment to Men of their Way This was written when the Meetings of Dissenters were in danger of being difturb'd that they are rather severe against them from whence it comes to pass both that the Church is under an impossibility of maintaining and consequently of furnishing themselves with a Pastor of their own and also hath little hopes of any peaceable and continued enjoyment of him with them if they had one Answer 1. If the Church of Cenchrea can meet with the Pastor of the Church of Corinth to receive the Lord's Supper as it seems they can they may as well meet with a Pastor of their own and enjoy his labours amongst them according to the Rule and Order of the Gospel 2. If the Church of Cenchrea be not defective in their Duty but lay out themselves as the Lord requires for the obtaining of a Pastor of their own and yet cannot obtain one they may and ought to wait on the Lord in Faith and Hope that in due time he will provide them of a Pastor And in the mean time they must keep his way Psal 37.34 bearing their want of a Pastor as their affliction from the Lord which they must not seek to ease themselves of by sinful and irregular ways 3. It is one special thing wherein Christ is taking a Tryal of his Churches in these Nations at this day whether they will be at the charge of maintaining all his Ordinances and Officers amongst them without help therein from the Civil Magistrate or whether they will not rather be without them And as it is a special Particular wherein the Tryal of the present Providence lies So it is that wherein Churches are in the more danger of failing because it is a part of the Yoke of Christ which the generality of the Churches in these Nations have not put their Necks under heretofore whereas all even the poorest Churches that we read of in the Apostles times did from their first Constitution furnish themselves with Officers without any help therein from the Civil Magistrate who was in many regards more severe against them than through the favour of God ours are to us See 1 Thess 5.12 with chap. 1.6 and 2.14 and 2 Thess 1.4 This Church was one of the Churches of Macedonia spoken of 2